Our History
Founded in 1873, MassArt has been educating forward-thinking artmakers, designers and educators for more than 150 years.
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Since 1873, MassArt has empowered artists, designers and creative thinkers through an education rooted in experimentation, collaboration and public impact.
MassArt was founded in 1873 in response to a bold idea: art and design are essential to our daily lives, and key to improving our society and economy. What began as a school to teach drawing is today a bold, comprehensive art and design institution that spans 18 undergraduate and ten graduate degree programs, certificates, continuing education, and post-baccalaureate study.
MassArt has received the 2026 Carnegie Classification for Extraordinary Commitment to Community Engagement, recognizing the College’s institution-wide commitment to partnering with communities and advancing the public good through art and design.
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Here, we believe art and design can and should advance the common
good. That belief powers ongoing programs like Compass and
Thriving Classrooms, which aim to make life and learning at
MassArt accessible and welcoming to all. It also inspires our
community-engaged coursework and partnerships, which connect us
and our work to communities across the Commonwealth. And it fuels
our commitment to providing new learning opportunities for the
next generation of talented, passionate, and determined students.
We are proud to have served as the state’s public college of art
and design for a century and a half, and are excited to see where
the next hundred years take our community.
MassArt’s compact campus, located in the heart of Boston’s arts district, includes nearly a million square feet of classroom, studio, exhibition, and living spaces. Inside and outside the studio, students collaborate with faculty and peers to develop their skills, gain valuable experience, and create incredible work. They also take advantage of the many museums, galleries, and performance venues that are part of Boston’s arts and culture landscape.
Undergraduate Students: 1,682 / Graduate Students: 104 / Continuing Education Students: 153
Full Time: 120 & Part-Time/Adjunct: 182
Massachusetts: $15,860 / New England & New York: $35,740 / Out of State: $44,700
Our talented leadership team brings creativity, passion, and deep experience to the work of educating the next generation of art and design leaders.
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Celebrating artists, educators, and cultural leaders whose work demonstrates how art and design transform civic life in Massachusetts and beyond.
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Lyssa Palu-Ay (MFA ’01), Dean of JET (Justice, Equity, and Transformation), works to move beyond institutional practices that can unintentionally marginalize BIPOC communities.
Founded in 1873, MassArt has been educating forward-thinking artmakers, designers and educators for more than 150 years.
Explore History →
We're equipping the next generation of artists and designers with the tools and knowledge they need to shape communities, economies and cultures for the common good.
Explore enrollment, accessibility, affordability, retention rates and the measures that guide institutional excellence.
We are committed to maintaining safe learning, living and working environments for everyone.
Explore programs, initiatives and partnerships that connect creativity with meaningful public engagement.
See how MassArt's dedicated Campus Safety team works to keep our entire community safe and secure.
Join our team and help inspire the next generation of artists and designers while building an inclusive creative community.
Review the College's long-term strategic goals and the initiatives that continue to shape MassArt's future.
View MassArt's accreditation standards, peer evaluation process and institutional reports.
The campus of Massachusetts College of Art and Design is located on the lands of indigenous tribes, such as the Wampanoag and Massachusett. We make this land acknowledgement to pay respect to these communities — past, present, and future — and recognize the painful history of erasure and ongoing violence toward indigenous people in North America and across the world.
We acknowledge this part of our history to affirm our values to pursue a more just, compassionate, and equitable learning environment.
